VIII Bomber Command 28

3 January 1943

Official description

Not yet known

Description

The U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France are once again the target for this mission. This is proving to be a particularly difficult target to destroy due to its massive, reinforced concrete design. It consists of 14 individual pens connected together in a structure 300 meters long, 130 meters wide and 18 meters high composed of 480,000 cubic meters of concrete. The roof of the structure alone is 8 meters thick built with four layers: (top to bottom) 3.5 meters reinforced concrete; 35cm of granite/concrete; 1.7 meter thick reinforced concrete; and the "Fangrost" layer of steel beams 1.4 meters thick. The roof bristles with anti-aircraft weapons.

The mission is comprised of two elements: 72 B-17s are despatched by 91BG (16); 303BG (17); 305BG (22) and 306BG (17). The element is organised in the 'stagger' formation designed by Colonel Curtis LeMay, CO 305BG which will become adopted by all 8AF heavy bomber units and become the standard formation for the remainder of the war. This is the first such use of the formation. 60 aircraft of this formation are effective on the target; 7 are MIA and 44 are damaged.

The second element of the mission is comprised of 13 B-24s despatched by 44th Bomb Group. 8 are effective on the target; 3 are DBR and 3 are damaged. Both formations are carrying bomb loads of 1000 lb. General Purpose bombs.

Mission details

1. SAINT-NAZAIRE

Description

U-BOAT PENS

Aircraft type

B-17 Flying Fortress

Notes

305th Bomb Group uses stagger formation during bomb run. This is the first use of formation bombing by 8th Air Force. There is no fighter escort for this mission.

Units

GroupThe 303rd Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated on 3-Feb-1942 at Pendleton Field, Oregon. They assembled at Gowen Field, Idaho on 11-February 1942 where it conducted flight training until 12-Jun-1942. The Group then moved to Alamogordo Field, New...

GroupThe 305th Bombardment Group (Heavy), nicknamed "Can Do" was activated 1-March-1942 at Salt Lake City Air Base, Utah which was their primary training base until 11-Jun-1942 when they relocated to Geiger Field, Washington until 29-Jun-1942, then on to...

GroupConstituted as 306th Bombardment Group (Heavy) on 28 Jan 1942. Activated on 1 Mar 1942. Trained for combat with B-17's. Moved to England, Aug-Sep 1942, and assigned to Eighth AF Eighth Air Force in September 1942 Station 111 Thurleigh. During combat,...

GroupThe 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated at Harding Field, Louisiana on 15-April-1942 and went to MacDill Field, Florida for the first phase of training from 16-May-1942 to 25-June-1942. The Group was then assigned to 2nd Air Force at Walla...

Mission Statistics

Tonnage dropped

147.50

Number of aircraft Sent

72

Number of aircraft Effective

60

Number of aircraft Missing In Action

7

Number of aircraft Damaged

44

Number of people Killed In Action

58

Number of people Wounded in Action

12

Number of people Evaded

1

Number of people Prisoners of War

11

Enemy aircraft claimed as Destroyed by Bomber Command

14

Enemy aircraft claimed as Probably Destroyed by Bomber Command

18

Enemy aircraft claimed as Damaged by Bomber Command

4

2. SAINT-NAZAIRE

Description

U-BOAT PENS

Aircraft type

B-24 Liberator

Notes

44th Bomb Group suffered casualties in 3 aircraft which crash landed due to fuel shortage on their return at Dale and Talbenny airfields

Units

GroupThe 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was activated 15-January-1942 at McDill Field, Florida and equipped with B-24Cs. The Group moved to Barksdale Field, Louisiana and acted as a training unit for the 90th 93rd and 98th Bomb Groups and flew anti...

Military | Captain | Lead Navigator | 303rd Bomb Group17-Feb-42 Assigned as Navigator of B-17F 41-24579 [PU-F] at Gowen Field, Boise, Idaho. 16-Oct-42 Arrived at Molesworth UK. He was despatched on 26 Operations - 25 credited. Served as a Lead Navigator on 23 of those missions. Completed a 25-Mission tour...

Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged IrregularsOn 8 Nov 1942, on first mission, B-17F 41-24570 "Panhandle Doggie" 91BG/323BS suffered severe damage on the mission to bomb the German airfield Abbeville/Drucat but plane returned with all crew and was salvaged. He was serving as Pilot on that aircraft...

Military | Staff Sergeant | Tail Gunner | 306th Bomb Group The Reich WreckersKilled in Action on 3 January 1943 in B-17F 41-24501 while serving as Tail Gunner. Aircraft had two engines shot out by flak over the target, the U/B (submarine) base at St. Nazaire, France. Pilot Ferguson flew the severely damaged plane out to sea but...

Military | First Lieutenant | Navigator | 44th Bomb Group The Flying EightballsOn 3 January 1943 in B-24D 41-23771 while serving as Navigator the aircraft made a crash-landing near Puncheston, Pembrokeshire when it ran out of fuel upon return from a mission to St. Nazaire, France. He was uninjured and Returned to Duty (RTD)
...

Military | Technical Sergeant | Radio Operator | 91st Bomb Group The Ragged IrregularsOn 8 Nov 1942, on first mission, B-17F 41-24570 "Panhandle Doggie" 91BG/323BS suffered severe damage on the mission to bomb the German airfield Abbeville/Drucat but plane returned with all crew and was salvaged. He was serving as Radio Operator on that...

B-17 Flying FortressB-17F 41-24608 [BN-S] "Yehoodi", 303BG/359BS was assigned with a crew on 10-Jul-42 at Alamogordo Field, Alamgordo, New Mexico, The aircraft was the first of the 303rd to arrive at Moleworth on 12-Oct-42. Participated in 5 Operations (3 Aborted). See...

Lee Cunningham, 8th Air Force missions research database / Stan Bishop's 'Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces', the Combat Chronology of the US Army Air Forces and the work of Roger Freeman including the 'Mighty Eighth War Diary'.